A changing current
by otaku-fujoshi-stories
Summary: Haruka, a father of two, had very little he cared for in life other than his friends, his family, and his job. Though when occurrence after occurrence brings him together with a certain redheaded stranger, will his outlook on life change without him knowing? Will he find something he considers precious within him? (HaruRin HaruKou MikoKou Daddy!Haruka Nanny!Rin Otomen!Rin)
1. It's okay as it is right?

**Heyooooo! It's the author here! This is another HaruRin story that I'm making so I won't over update the other one! I'm tryin' to pace myself see? Lol, but I hope you like! OH! To a certain guest who gave me an amaaazing idea for this story that made me want to write it more... Thaaaanks! **

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**Chapter 1: It's good enough... right?**

"Tou-chan, should we go away for a little while?" A high-pitched voice said, awkwardly trying to sound more gruff than what nature intended. It still tinkled like bells in his ears like the sound of an angel, though he knew he was only exaggerating out of love. But at this moment, truly his child sounded like a small angel with fluttering wings that looked at you with assuring yet innocent eyes that knew far more than you could ever comprehend. Though she was no angel, she was his six-year-old daughter who suddenly popped with this question as he was making dinner. You could say that he froze for a minute, suspended in the shock that overcame him at the innocent question. Though after fully comprehending exactly what came from those small lips of his own blood, he whirled around—his face smooth and emotionless even though he gripped the counter tightly with a white-knuckled grip.

"W…What?" He asked, in a lightly trembling voice that betrayed his composed countenance. What did she mean 'should we go away'? Why would she say that? What could've possibly given her the idea that it would be the slightest bit appropriate? He looked at his daughter who sat taller than she usually would, her raven hair the same color as his and her bright, crimson eyes were a trait she shared with her mother. Though his traits came out more in his other child, who was more serious. It made him even more tense to see that he shared this selfless look that his sister was giving him instead of giving her a practical stare and asking her what she was talking about. "What are you talking about?"

He nodded his small cherry red head, the messy bangs that he had to resemble his idolized father more bobbing childishly on his forehead, "We're serious Otou-san. We've talked about it and come to a reasonable con…conkluson that we should go live with Obaa-san for a while. You always tell us to think things through before deciding… so this is what we decided." He was at a loss as to how a child who could not yet pronounce the word 'conclusion' come to such a mature decision with reasonable back up. Nevertheless he was still just as shocked. Where the hell was this all coming from? He was a good father, or at least a decent one he hoped. He always made sure there was food on the table, he helped them get to school, took them home, spent all of his free time with them almost… why were they not happy? The stoic man's face crinkled lightly in an unusual expression of sadness that the children noticed immediately. The raven haired female, better at socializing out of the two of them, sprang into action.

"No, no! Tou-chan it's not like that! Well… we just want you to take a break maybe… it's just… you always take care of us but then you never have time to do the things Tou-chans like to do and we were worried… that you might not like us later because of it…" The raven said with expressive eyes that shone with sadness. The eldest man's face smoothed back into its perfect emotionless expression, a sign of clear relief as he walked over to the two who sat at the table and pulled them into an embrace which they both accepted eagerly.

"I could never hate you guys. I absolutely love you, no matter what. If I didn't then I wouldn't make such an effort to spend time with you guys. Though you must understand that I don't really want to do much except spend time with you guys. I love watching you grow up and even if I don't smile so often, I really do enjoy myself," He explained, looking at them with a small smile that came naturally when with his children. They blinked nearly identical wide eyes and the redhead sighed in that cool way he's used to, sitting down reluctantly. Though the raven looked a bit more touched by his words, she also did the same. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before going back to work on making his dinner.

As usual they had dinner between the three of them, their mother away again on some kind of business rendezvous—or at least that's what she told them. Truthfully, Haruka knew exactly where she was going though he couldn't really bring himself to bring up such an elephant-in-the-room conversation in front of the children. And more so, he wasn't really upset about it. He knew that she went to Seijuro Mikoshiba's house around this time after work every day. He'd known about it for a while actually. Seijuro was actually an employee at his company, a file runner as they called it in corporate business. Though he was an extremely hard worker. The bright redhead always came to work on time, had a positive attitude, and knew exactly how to get things done. It wasn't a wonder how he got to be promoted so fast as his right-hand man. Because of him, things often get done in a timely and orderly fashion so he had no objections to him at work.

Really he supposed it was his fault that the entire affair started in the first place, though his wife tried fairly hard to keep it a secret. He was the one who brought her to the business party and they hit it off right off the bat. Seijuro was quite different from him. While he was serious and quiet, Seijuro was boisterous and playful and easily won the heart of his strong-willed wife. He completely swept her off of her feet. He knew by the way her eyes stared at him with complete and utter adoration and rapture. Though the reason he had yet to bring up the fact that she should just be with the one that she loves more was the fact that she also looked at him with such eyes. It wasn't the work of hope that she'll someday love him more than Seijuro but rather he wondered if she would be less happy if he just told her to be with him. If he was no longer by her side.

He felt no particular attraction to anyone else and never has though when he thinks of her being sad, a certain guilt pangs his heart and he can't bring himself to tell her to go with someone else. After all she did give him two of the most precious gifts he could ever ask for—Sakura and Asuka. When he thought that they could possibly be saddened by their mother not being in their lives as often, he definitely thought that he should keep quiet. He wouldn't be able to bear putting a sad expression on his children's faces. Things would just have to stay as they were for the moment. Though he didn't think that was too bad. He couldn't imagine not having a life such as this at this point and he thought he was happy. Or at least content.

He should've known that this was a warning sign that things most definitely were not going to be the same. The morning after the incident with his children however, was the catalyst that made him question exactly if he was happy or not. If he even desired such a thing. Azure eyes unfurled open, the light hitting the iris in such a tantalizing way that one would think they were looking into a shining pool of the purest water. Messy bangs were pushed from his forehead and his eyes focused on the redheaded girl on top of him, her nightgown pushed off of her frail body, revealing her black, lacy bra and panties. His confusion evaporated the moment he set eyes upon her darkened crimson orbs and the way she slowly licked her plump lips. It was always like this between them, ever since they met. Kou would kiss and hug him when she pleased and when she wanted sex, she took that as well. Haruka didn't really have a problem with it since it felt good and her satisfied face afterwards along with the love that shone in her eyes made him feel at ease.

She'd already unbuttoned his sleep shirt and now pressed small, lingering kisses down his chest. Her long fingers tracing his abs and hips as she always did. Licking down to the valley between his hip bones, he stared at her with his usual stoic face that barely even twitched when he was touched through his thin pajama pants. She smirked and rubbed a bit harder, thumbing over the slit until a wet spot began to appear on the front of his sweat pants. "Hm… Haru aren't you feeling good today?" She said in a slightly deeper, mature voice that he supposed was her seductress voice. He went along with it to please her, nodding lightly while his cock got harder beneath her harsh touch. They were making good time today, he didn't want to be late for work because he was having sex with his wife after all. Makoto would probably have an aneurism.

As if sensing his distraction, Kou leaned down and captured his lips, licking inside dominantly. It felt good as usual and his eyes closed, letting her do as she pleased until he was at full mast. They parted and she sunk down to her hands' level with obvious intent in her eyes. Peering down, he saw her eyes hooded with lust, her flushed cheeks and watched her peel his pajama pants and boxers off. His breath became a bit heavier as she engulfed his cock with her heated, wet mouth, sucking sounds and her soft moans the only ambiance that rang through the silent room.

Looking over to the clock out of habit when they had early morning sex, he realized it was almost about the time when he had to get up and take the kids to school. He almost wanted to halt the other where she was but he knew that she'd probably kill him if he did that, even if it was for the kids' sake. He knew that they'd have to be done a bit quickly but by now, he was almost an expert at handling Kou. Reaching down, he ran his fingers through her hair and huffed out a breath as she licked and nibbled at just the right place. Slowly, she pulled off with a pop, saliva and a bit of his precum attaching her still to the head of his cock.

"Gou, sorry but… I can't hold back much longer," He said, the natural guttural tone of his voice when he was aroused giving him the perfect voice for convincing her. Red eyes widened and he pulled her up, pinning her to the bed while simultaneously moving the flimsy fabric of her panties to the side and slipping two fingers inside of her dripping opening—a skill he'd learned to pick up the pace when having sex with her. He pumped her hard and fast, not looking to waste any time as they only had five minutes.

"A-Ah! Haru! M…More… th-there…" Kou whined as he pressed into her well-known g-spot, making her arch her back in ecstasy. He supported her with his other hand and unclipped her bra, her supple breasts spilling from the cups while she moaned in lust. He knew she was most sensitive there and sucked her breast while he pulled out his soaking fingers, wiping them on the bed. He gripped his neglected cock, reaching into the nightstand and taking out a condom. He ripped it open with his teeth, rolled it on with ease, and looked at her with eyes that clearly told her that he was being rough this morning.

He slammed inside of her, pumping as quickly as he could and aiming to press all of her sweet spots to bring her to orgasm. She was writhing below him, her head thrown back and her back arched while her body rocked with the force of his thrusts. He was beginning to feel that familiar warmth in the pit of his stomach that told him that it would be over soon, her arms reached around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist while he pounded into her best spot that made her see stars. Reaching down to press her clit, she lost it, arching and screaming in his waiting mouth, her core clenching down like a vice. He gave one more thrust and stiffened as he came as well, sighing as he had at least a minute or so to get up and wash his hands.

Kissing her cheek, he got out of bed and did just that to get the sticky fluid off of his fingers and wash off the lingering scent of sex. He grabbed his shirt and quickly buttoned it, inwardly praising the luck he must've had for making the bentos he usually makes in the morning yesterday night. He entered the shared yet split room that Asuka and Sakura had together. He kneeled by Sakura's bed first, who was always the easiest to wake, and gently shook him.

"Sakura… we need to get up now, school's going to start soon," the redhead wrinkled his nose slightly and sighed in reluctance. He slowly rose from his bed and followed him to Asuka's bed, shaking her a bit more roughly than he would.

"Oi… Oi, Asuka. Wake up, school's gonna start before we get there if you don't get up," He said in a dull voice that disturbingly matched Haruka's though was a tad bit more grumpy. Asuka whimpered in complaint in her sleep, snuggling up to her favorite stuffed animal that she took everywhere with her.

"Don't wanna. Onii-chan, go be mean somewhere else," She said, turning away from him which Haruka could tell annoyed Sakura as he swiftly turned away to his father with a serious expression that said 'nothing can be done so let's leave that idiot'. At times Haruka honestly marveled at how similar they were. Shaking his head, Haruka leaned down by her and said,

"Hm… I guess you won't get to have any mackerel this morning. Or for lunch since bentos are only for people who work or go to school," That got her up quickly. If there was anyone who could rival his love for mackerel, it was Asuka. She hopped excitedly out of bet yet it could still be considered sluggish from what her usual pace was. He led them to the bathroom where their uniforms were laid out for their elementary school and left them by themselves to brush their teeth and hair as well as get dressed.

He then went to his own room to do the same thing, quickly brushing his teeth and pulling out a casual suit that most wouldn't wear to work. However, his grandmother said that when he became the boss of wherever he worked, then he could wear whatever he wanted. So he settled with just a light, blue sweater and black slacks, not daring to wear a tie for the fear of suffocating. No one complained about him wearing whatever he wanted anyway, not even administration since the company itself was in fact his. Nanase enterprises, which sold clothing lines and art was his as the twelfth heir and he'd apparently been quite talented at it since their company was one of the top in the world. He was just happy that he'd get to do a job that he enjoyed every day—although it came with some drawbacks such as the parties.

At the moment, his wife was also getting ready for work as he was nowhere to be seen and the bed had been made up. Going downstairs, he spotted his kids who-in their matching uniforms—were honestly adorable though they bickered like cats and dogs. He went to the kitchen and began to get started on the mackerel that they'd have for breakfast when his wife descended down the stairs in her professional wear that was the antithesis of what he had on. Her red, silk shirt was clean cut and tucked in, her grey blazer outlined her shape, yet was still quite professional and her pencil skirt was tight yet completely acceptable for her company as well as her black high heels. With a cheery expression as she fixed her red hair in a ponytail, she said, "I'll be back late again guys! Sorry, work's really demanding!"

"Have a safe trip," was all he said as he flipped his fish over. Kou came and kissed his cheek as well as the children's with the practiced proficiency of a housewife. Waving, she exited the rather large house and made her way to her sports vehicle—which she had bought with her own money.

She would admit that she was in a rather good mood from the treat that she'd received early that morning. Mikoshiba was never like that with her. He was always painstakingly gentle and looked out for her pleasure, but she already knew one of Haru's good points was that he could be a monster in the sheets even when he didn't try. The way he slammed into her so passionately even while looking at her with that barely thawed out face made her drip at the thought. He was so aggressive and his muscles were absolutely perfect as they held her while she rocked into heaven. It wasn't exactly why she loved him but it was a damn good reason why they'd ended up having twins.

With a refreshed feeling, she reflected on how cute Haru was making the mackerel and how he even said for her to have a safe trip. He could be so adorable without even trying sometimes especially with their cute kids. She bounded into the company where she worked, her usual bright smile greeting everyone in the office as girls and guys alike greeted her with enthusiasm. Kou was really a difficult person to dislike with her tenacious attitude and genuine kindness. Though it was slightly unusual to see her coming in with such a glow as she was currently.

As she sat at her desk, which was the temporary small cubicle that she only used occasionally. She was to meet with two clients today and of course since they were quite important she had to dress as she was now. In reality she was an award-winning personal trainer for sports fitness. As she stretched, her ample chest pushed against the silken fabric, gaining the attentions of the male population of the office much to her disgust. Another reason she loved Haru was the fact that he always treated her like she was anyone else. He didn't look down at her because she was a girl and made her feel dependable though he was always chivalrous to her and opened doors, pulled out chairs and sometimes paid for her. And of course he was always good in be—

"Ohayo Kou-chan!" said her cute, brunette senpai Ama. She used to be a model with her gorgeous looks though for unexplained reasons she quit and hated the modeling industry. She also didn't like how men looked at her and purposefully acted cheerful and weirdly cryptic to keep the lechers away. This was how she became her best friend and also… "Oh, that smile… were you with Sei-kun today?" she was the only person who knew about her affair from her loving husband.

"A-A-Ama-senpai! D-Don't say such scandalous things so loudly," even though Ama-senpai was actually quite soft spoken though Kou was quite sensitive on the topic of her affair. She knew as well as anyone else no one would understand and was quite lucky that she had someone as nonjudgmental as Ama-senpai with her. Though she looked away with a blush as she thought of "Sei-kun". Thoughts of him always made her like this—like a maiden struck in love—which was probably why Ama-senpai thought it was Mikoshiba. Though it wasn't today, "A-And actually no… it's Haru… just when I thought that I was the only one feeling the passion in our marriage, he just flips me over and pushed it so roughly… he said he couldn't wait anymore…" She sighed in a dreamy way.

Immediately Ama-senpai's face turned disapproving. Yes as Kou said before she didn't judge her but Ama-senpai didn't like the act of cheating and she told her that she might as well be with the one she liked the most. "Kou-chan… is it really necessary to keep both? I mean how do you think Sei-kun might feel? He knows you're married…" She trailed off and gestured with her hands the obvious thing that married couples do often. Kou felt a pang of guilt, nearly able to hear Mikoshiba's innocent laughter by her ears. But she shook that off. Ama-senpai was right. Mikoshiba was fully aware that she was married and who she was married to. How was she supposed to keep her hands to herself when she had landed herself such a hottie! Mikoshiba should be able to understand, he also cheated on his girlfriend when they first got together.

"Psh, Ama-senpai really, he already knows the circumstances between us. He already knows I'm not looking to have any more kids and that we use protection. What could he have to be upset about? As you said he knows I'm married, so I have to satisfy Haru's whims sometime…" She trailed off at the bullshit look that Ama-senpai was giving her, "Okay, but I have womanly needs too! There are some days when you just need some great… great… stoic, dreamy, rough sex y'know?" Ama-senpai's eye twitched and she sweatdropped, once again forgetting that she was single and had been for a while now.

Ama-senpai sighed and looked at her with those eyes that told her that she was bound to get some kind of wise-guy saying or philosophy lesson. Ama-senpai was actually really into English, though not a lot of people knew. They just thought she was some whack job that randomly said philosophical quotes that at times had nothing at all to do with whatever everyone else was doing. "Most people cheat because they're paying more attention to what they're missing rather than what they have…" she trailed off and may jaw clenched a bit as she got up and left with that mysterious aura in the air that usually is left by her quotes.

Kou didn't want to admit it but Ama-senpai was actually more right than wrong. Though that didn't mean that she was one hundred percent correct. In fact Kou was focusing more on what each of them did have then what the other lacked. While Haru lacked the warmth and personality that Mikoshiba had, he had the grace, aloofness, and coolness that Mikoshiba couldn't have if he tried. They both swept her off of her feet, Haru when they met in college and she'd charmed and pushed her way into his heart and Mikoshiba when they had met at the ball that Haru had taken her to and the sweet way that he'd held her as they danced. She honestly could pick one over the other even if she tried. They both had a special place in her heart that no one could replace. Mikoshiba of course knew that she was married but she couldn't risk losing Haru… so he didn't know… he never would.

In his own office at the top floor of an almost fully glass building, Haruka sneezed at his desk where he typed. Makoto from his desk next to him looked at him in concern while blessing him. "Hm… someone must be talking about me," He said easily as Seijuro handed him a tissue with a slight sweatdrop along with Makoto.

"Ah.. no Haru-chan, perhaps it was dust or maybe the cold? You are only wearing a sweater after all," Makoto said in his gentle voice, turning his drooping, green eyes towards him. Wide, blue eyes watched him back before explaining.

"Obaa-san said that you sneeze if you don't have a cold when someone talks about you. So far she hasn't been wrong," Haruka mumbled, "And drop the –chan Makoto." Makoto sighed and went back to his own work. Makoto and he were childhood friends all the way from elementary school. They even went to business school together and when Haruka was offered a position from his family, Makoto—who was also practically part of the family—was also offered a position as co-owner of his company. There were often times that "uncle Makoto" came over to play with the kids with him or if he dragged him off with Nagisa and Rei—chairman and co-chairman—to do something that for once didn't involve his children. This is why when Makoto suddenly came to his desk with an urgent face, he almost felt his heart stop with anticipation.

"Haru-chan you need to go to the elementary school! Asuka-chan just collapsed!" Haruka's eyes widened and more frazzled then anyone had ever seen the stoic man, he hurriedly put away the things he absolutely needed and left the files to Makoto. He rushed down the stairs with his athletic endurance that he'd earned long ago from high school sports and finally landed on the last floor where he hurriedly dashed out of the building. The school wasn't too far from where he worked so he hopped in the sleek, silver car that he drove them in and pulled out to his children.

Getting there in the short time span of four minutes, each of which passed like hours to the urgent and nearly panicked Haruka, he rushed out of the car and burst through the doors. His hair was disheveled, his clothes mussed by the speed he was running and his normally expressionless countenance was flushed with exertion. He panted as he was greeted by a few flustered teachers, only able to get out, "A…Asuka?" The jumped and led him to the small mat she was placed on where she seemed to be regaining consciousness.

"Though she fainted, her condition wasn't bad Nanase-san. It was most likely caused by a fever, nothing that some rest shouldn't take care of," The nurse of the school said, seeing the 'worried parent' look in Haruka's eyes. Haruka barely gave a sigh in relief, thankful that it was nothing more than that. Really, he should've known… ever since this morning when Asuka didn't want to get up and was a bit more sluggish than usual. She couldn't even eat all of her portion of mackerel that morning. How could he have neglected to realize she was sick? He saw Asuka's crimson eyes creep open, bleary with her fever.

"T…Tou-chan…?" Haruka instantly was by her side, noticing Sakura next to her who had a serious face on though held her hand tightly with one hand and her bunny in the other. Wordlessly, Haruka pat her head and picked her up. Sakura, just as quietly left with him, nodding at the nurse as if thanking her. They went home and together, put Asuka to bed with her bunny. Haruka went to go make porridge for when she woke but when he got to the stairs, he felt his pant leg pull back.

Turning around, he saw Sakura with rare watery eyes that stared at the floor, his hand trembling. Haruka smiled a bit at the obvious concern he felt for his sister. He knew that Sakura must've felt really scared when Asuka fainted like that. Though he kept calm and waited until his father came home and even took care of Asuka's bunny that she treasured. He really was a good brother. He picked the other up, kissing his forehead as he walked down the stairs, "Don't be scared. Asuka will be just fine. Do you want to help me take care of her?" He offered the smaller boy.

"W…Will it m-make her ha…ppy?" Haruka smiled and nodded, setting Sakura down at the table as he began to make the rice porridge with a hint of mackerel for his mackerel-loving daughter. They had some fever medications on hand that she could drink afterwards. He knew that he'd have to take a few days off from actually coming to work so he could take care of Asuka that's why he packed his laptop with him so he could work from home. He'd obviously be doing such things when Asuka and Sakura were asleep and he thought he honestly had it all planned out, how things were to go.

What he didn't expect though was for his phone to ring. He picked it up, seeing it was Makoto on the other line, probably acting like a worried mother, "Yes Makoto?"

"Is Asuka-chan okay?" He asked in a worried voice that Haruka knew that he'd make. He nearly nodded when he remembered that he was on the phone and had to communicate verbally.

"Yes, Asuka is okay. I'm making rice porridge for her right now and I'm going to give her her medicine later," he told him so he didn't just go firing random questions at him as if he'd never taken care of a sick child before. Makoto gave a relieved sigh and cleared his voice, "Yes, you can visit her later," he said, thinking that was the train of thought Makoto was going on.

"Oh! Well… yes that's good but… that's not what I wanted to say. As a matter of face… Haru-chan I don't want you coming to work for a while," Makoto said in a speedy way as if he were afraid of his reaction. He probably should've been as Haruka nearly dropped his phone into the rice porridge that he was making. Sakura looked at him strangely but he could only focus on what Makoto said to him just then.

"E…Eh?"

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d

**Heeeyyy! So did ya like? Sowwy for no Rin-Rin... and the straight sex... there's going to be a liiitle more of that but I'll make it up with the heavy yaoi later XD This is not a straight story o_o.**


	2. A trip to the park begins our destiny!

**Alrighty guys! Here's to chapter 2! I don't own Free! But I kinda own Asuka, not Sakura though. The fandom thought of Sakura. Lol but no copyright infringement or whatever! Enjooooy!**

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**Chapter 2: A trip to the park starts destiny!**

Haruka was frozen in utter shock as he held the phone in his clutching hand. How could this be? Fired? Suspended? He hadn't done anything wrong! He wasn't neglecting his children though he was often called a work-a-holic but he made sure to spend enough time with his children. He didn't come in looking ridiculous or acting crazy. He was the same person he was when he doubled their profits and spread Nanase enterprise's reputation even further than before. Why would Makoto of all people not want to see him at work? Did that mean no working at all? Haruka's world felt like it was bottoming out from beneath him, his expression even cracking to one of pure shock, "What do… mean don't come in?"

He heard Makoto's cautious sigh and restrained himself from gulping. Makoto never sounded like that… was he angry? Makoto is almost never angry but there was a first time for everything, "Look, Haru… okay first let me tell you it's not permanent because that's probably what you're most worked up about," he involuntarily breathed out a huge sigh of relief, running his a hand through his hair as he slowly calmed himself down. He truly did love what he did for a living and couldn't imagine not being able to do it. He supposed this was one of the reasons he was able to excel so well in his job was because he loved it in the first place. He'd been called a business genius many a time and some even a prodigy—though he wondered why he was still being called such a thing when according to grandma he was supposed to be an average person again, "However, I don't want you to do any work while you're off okay? I don't want you emailing me about the meetings, I don't want you sending me new ideas and themes for designs alri—"

"Why?" Was the only thing the raven could get out, deciding to stop the stove before the rice porridge over-heated. Just as he thought that the other was being reasonable, he once again dashes all hope in him. Just why couldn't he work? He worked before he went to sleep, sometimes when he woke up, during lunch breaks… work had become a part of him, he just couldn't do without it. It was more of a part in his daily life like brushing his teeth or using the bathroom. Yet Makoto wanted him to give it up for an undescribed amount of time. He admittedly wanted to just refused flat out but since Makoto was his co-owner, he had the same amount of power he had and there was only so far that friendship could take you in challenging authority. Besides, he didn't want Makoto to feel less than he did because he just refused to follow orders.

"Haru, honestly I think you just need a break. You… this wasn't like you today. Your kids are usually in top health and…" Makoto trailed off so as not to hit the sore nerve that he was edging towards. Haruka knew that this was unusual, he knew that though Asuka would never say it, it was mostly his fault for not noticing. For believing her lies about being cold when she sniffled, for not seeing the obvious sign of colds in his own kids. He knew he didn't notice that she was a bit off beat and he would forever be cautious of it, seeing as how it escalated into this… how it could've been a lot worse if she had been playing outside and bumped her head… the worries were endless but did that mean that he was too distracted with work? One of the major reasons he worked so hard was to make his children happy and be able to provide for them but… if he couldn't take care of them because he was working too hard… "You just need a break Haru. Really, you've collected years of sick days on your calendar and the only time you've ever missed work was when Kou-san went into labor. Everyone needs a break sometimes… so as I was saying. From here on, you're on a month's paid vacation."

Haruka's eyes widened and he looked down as Makoto began blabbing on and on about how it would be good for him to get out and how he could devote extra time to his kids. A month… he couldn't work… for a month… how was he to live? Haruka really thought he might shrivel up and die from that many days without work. There was only so much time one can spend with their children so what was he going to do for the rest of the time? He thought briefly about picking swimming back up but dashed the idea because he'd have to take his children along with him and if he did that then he most definitely would have to watch over them and wouldn't be able to do a single lap.

What was up with all of this anyway? Why did everyone suddenly think to do such uncomfortable things to him to make him feel better? First his kids with the ridiculous talk of moving out and now this? He felt fine. He wasn't suffering from physical or mental ailments—he didn't even have one grey hair in his thick head full of hair. He worked out when he could, though it was also the work of a balanced diet that kept him trim and fit as well as constantly chasing around his kids. He was even often mistaken for being younger than he really was because of the pure lack of wrinkles he had. Haruka thought it might be safe to say that he was in the best shape of his life at the moment, so why did everyone think that he was pushing himself too hard?

"Um… Haru? I know it must be hard for you to accept but… I've already filed the paperwork and everything has been done. If you do end up sending over paperwork, I might have to suspend you after you get off from your vacation," He heaved a huge sigh, wondering when Makoto became such a slave driver. Especially to him of all people. He would have to give in, there was no other choice in the matter and he would be a silent martyr for a month.

"Fine," He said and hung up, pocketing his phone and turning the stove on. He tried to loosen his shoulders up since he was with the sharper of the twins—though they were both impeccably quick witted in their own way—but Sakura instantly caught how upset he was.

"Otou-san, is it really that bad to be away from work?" he asked in a curious tone and Haruka rolled his shoulders and sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't that bad but he just wasn't the type to just laze around and do nothing for days on end. He liked to be able to get up and do things. Well, their house was pretty big and he had been neglecting going to thoroughly clean it for a while now. It would be the perfect time to actually do some of the things that he always said he was going to do but then forgot about or ignored because of work.

"I'll be fine Sakura," he said as he turned the stove off and filled two bowls with the porridge, one for each of the twins. He gave Sakura the bowl to give to Asuka in her favorite red bowl. He only held Sakura's porridge as he watched the redhead feed the raven girl and give her her medicine and even make sure she was absolutely comfortable before he backed off to eat his own. He marveled at times, the young boy's maturity. Though he was also like this, Haruka sometimes found himself wishing that Sakura let himself go a bit more and have less restraint. But since he was also like that as a child, he felt he had no right to tell Sakura how to behave.

A day passed and as the nurse previously said Asuka's fever had almost gone all the way down and she was beginning to act like her old self again—much to the relief of he and her brother. In no time at all she was having adventures in the house with her rabbit and Haruka, to ease the utter boredom of not working, was making good on his promise to clean. He cleaned off all of the countertops until they shone as if he first bought them, he moped the floor until it looked as if it had been waxed and even actually thought about waxing it, and he dusted and wiped busily. Parts of him never actually knew how dirty some of these rooms were, having never taken the time to go around and look at them with an inspecting eye and he was rather glad about having something to do while he was off. However, Sakura, who knew of his vacation from work as he'd overheard it, was beginning to get worried with his daughter Asuka.

There were seldom moments when Sakura questioned his father's judgment. He was a kind, solemn, and sensible man who worked hard for what he had and never neglected them no matter how busy he was. However, Sakura was well aware of his father's need to work. He never worked at the dinner table, but when they drove home he was always on the phone and until dinner he usually was on his laptop. He knew by now that his father didn't see it but so much work was definitely bad for you, Uncle Makoto had told him that it could even cause health problems and that was the last thing he wanted for his father. He was actually really happy when Uncle Makoto forced his father to take a month off. Making him relax seemed like the ideal solution to Sakura… that is until he heard the vacuum on blast for hours on end accompanied by the itchy smell of bleach.

"Sakura-nii… you don't think that tou-chan is…" Asuka said warily with a slightly exasperated face as she looked at Sakura's expression of 'I really don't know what to say about father'. "But… but… Uncle Mako-chan made him take the day off! You said he wouldn't work for a month!" She pouted, making Sakura turn his head away in slight embarrassment. It wasn't his fault that their father could be such an idiot at times. He didn't even realize how much space it was taking up in his life.

"Tch, not my fault… but what can we do? He won't let us move with Obaa-san to at least let him relax a little and because he's doing these things now… otou-san is bothersome sometimes…" Sakura sighed, flopping on his bed and turning to the wall. He couldn't properly think of a solution that would work for that type of man—one that was intent on working and couldn't relax if he didn't work. Vacations or threats didn't work on him… Suddenly Asuka leaned over him and he turned to his barely younger sister with a blank expression that he seemed to have gotten from his father. "What is it Asuka?"

A slow smile stretched across Asuka's face and she answered, "Instead of blackmailing tou-chan, why don't we just use what we have! It's Saturday you know. Where do most families go on Saturdays?" Asuka left a trail to see if her brother was picking up where she left off. She could tell when he got it as soon as she saw the identical twinkling in his brother's eyes that she knew was in hers. With their dad acting like this, they had no choice but to pull out the child card.

"So, we're going to the park today?" Sakura asked, getting up and rooting through his clothes to pull out a dolphin t-shirt with blue jeans and his favorite sneakers. Asuka followed suit, taking out her favorite—or rather her father's favorite—dress that was red and white along with her white stockings and red shoes. She knew they had to be adorable when they asked because they knew for a fact that the cuter they were, the harder it was for adults to say no to them. Grabbing Domo-kun, her favorite stuffed rabbit, she stood in front of Sakura who also looked ready for battle. Though he stared rudely at domo-kun with that stupid look in his eyes that signaled disdain, "Do you have to take Domo-kun?"

"Of course I do! Baka onii-chan! Domo-kun is my favorite!" She said, quickly turning to go to the door, knowing that her twin was scowling in his own way towards her, "Don't make such a face. Remember, we need to be a team on this! Or else tou-chan will say no." Sakura rolled his eyes but fixed his expression, barely a shift in his eyebrows, and grabbed her hand on the way out. He was looking forward to playing outside for once, even though he already knew that there was no way Asuka could get away with keeping that dress clean all day.

Haruka was busy scrubbing the floor when he suddenly heard the sound of two pairs of feet, getting louder and louder as they approached him from behind. He knew exactly who they belonged to but was surprised to hear the second pair of feet accompanied by the familiar squeak that only came from Asuka's favorite shoes. He turned when the sound stopped only to be assaulted by the bright look of his two children looking up at him with pleading and twinkling eyes. Though his own face was blank, he had to look away for a moment from the inherent cuteness that they seemed to display naturally.

"Tou-chan!"

"Otou-san," They said separately before coming together in a strangely harmonious voice, "take us to the park?" Haruka briefly glanced down at the floor that he was cleaning, then back up to his sparkling children as if silently comparing the two though he knew that the former would win out any day. He considered telling them that he could take them when he finished the floor but it seemed that Asuka had this in mind already as she walked up to him and tugged his t-shirt. Hugging Domo-kun, she looked up at him from under her lashes and he knew that she was playing dirty with the pout on her barely quivering lips.

"Please tou-chan? We got dressed for you and it's been so long since we went out together… don't you like playing with us?" It was as if a magical button had been pressed inside him and he knew he wouldn't be able to refuse her. Slowly nodding, he began to put the cleaning supplies away, clearly aware of when they high-fived each other behind his back. His kids were cleverer than he thought. Grabbing a sweater, some jeans, and barely used sneakers, he took the kids' matching blue and red jackets—for some reason Kou seemed to be fixated on such colors, if not matching ones—and put them over their fragile shoulders before taking one small hand in each of his.

Walking to the park was a bit difficult on Asuka's side since she could barely contain herself after being stuck inside all this time and spring was always her favorite season. The Sakura trees that were scattered in nearby school blew flower petals at them while Asuka poked fun at Sakura saying that mini-Sakura-niis were falling from the sky. Haruka actually found it a bit amusing though Sakura had the coldest face he'd ever seen. He supposed with his name, the jokes did get old after a while.

Though when they finally arrived at the park, he sat down on the bench where normal parents sat and let their hands go to play on the playground that they set up for kids like them. Even though he wasn't working, he supposed that this was nice, seeing them run around enthusiastically or build impressive sand castles. It was actually a bit more fun than cleaning his house, though he was doing nothing… maybe picking swimming back up wouldn't be too bad of an idea or taking the kids out a bit more. He kind of felt like he was being manipulated by his two kids but he thought at least it was the right kind of manipulation. Sighing, he leaned back in his seat, ignoring the single or new mothers that stared at him painfully hard. At times he considered it a virtue to be oblivious.

The warming air brushed over the playful atmosphere and the loud sounds of children's laughter muffled the sound of a small ice cream truck. Knowing his kids, they would be over any second to ask him for some and on cue, his children ran over to him with the puppy eyes on. An amused huff left his lips and he nodded silently and got up to get ice cream. After all, Sakura and Asuka never changed their orders. Both seemed to strangely have an adoration for strawberry ice cream sundaes and asked for it every time they got ice cream. With a casual yet graceful stroll that seemed to catch the eye of every female in the park, he approached the long line to get ice cream.

It seemed that when he walked in the line, the customers doubled all in hopes of talking to him or 'talking with that cool, stoic guy'. Haruka just ignored the fidgeting females behind him, wondering what he should get or if he should get anything at all. He didn't like leaving his kids alone in such a place but they would definitely cause a ruckus in such a line. Or at least Asuka would. Though his trance was broken when suddenly a brave woman came up to him with a confident smile painted on her well-shaped lips. Haruka would admit that she was attractive, if you were into that type of girl. Though he wasn't into many things and women definitely were ranked low on his list—he already had a wife so he didn't see the need to really talk to other women if unnecessary.

Her long blonde hair reached to the bottom of her ample bust, curling gently as her bangs bounced just above bright blue eyes. He felt that she was a foreigner and thought with a bit of hope that she would just need directions or something, he was getting better with his English, though he still despised it. However, with that sharp gleam in her eyes, Haruka doubted that it was directions she wanted, "Hey, do you come here often?" Haruka looked at her blankly, marveling that that was actually her pick up line. He thought only guys said that kind of thing… "Oh! Quiet one are you? That's cute. Onee-san thinks that shyness is pretty cute."

He reached the front of the line and nearly sighed in relief, he really couldn't take talking with women after all, "Two strawberry sundaes," he said, twitching in discomfort when he heard the random comments on how smooth and deep his voice was. The blonde's eyes seemed to brighten at him mentioning two sundaes and he suddenly wondered if the ring he always wore on his finger was suddenly invisible. The worker quickly made the ice cream and gave them to him. Turning towards the open exit, he was met with the woman and sighed irritably. He refused to give her the ice cream when she held her hand out for it and instead said, "I'm married with a steady job and these sundaes are for my twins, onee-san."

Her jaw dropped and she colored up to her hairline as he quickly walked away from the complaining housewives behind him. He came back to the bench where he was at before only to see the spot where his kids were predictably empty. He looked to the playground, scanning every slide and swing there was and with the growing number of attractions checked, Haruka began to feel his heart drop. Where were they? His hands began to subtly tremble and his looking grew more frantic. He couldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes, where were they? "Sakura… Asuka!" He called though there were no twin cries of recognition. Shit, shit, shit! Immediately he rushed to look for them, only hoping for the best case scenario that they were just lost. Please let them just be lost…

As a raven man frantically looked around for his children, a substantially smaller redhead and raven boy and girl were quarreling loudly. The girl had tears in her angry crimson orbs and reached for the rabbit that the redhead had in his too tight grasp, "Baka! Give Domo-kun back you meanie!" Sakura said nothing as he pushed his sister away and ran farther from her though Asuka was actually faster than him given her tomboyish nature, "Sakura-nii! Give him back!" She tackled him on the ground that was soft, given the light rain they had received the day prior but even as she was quite strong, Sakura was even stronger. He rolled atop her and pulled as she tried to tug Domo-kun back to her.

"So you'd rather be with Domo-kun? He's not even real. Only babies care about such things," He said in a cold voice though his insides burned in agitation. Asuka was always playing with Domo-kun and she never wanted to do anything with him anymore. It had been getting on his nerves for a while until he just hated Domo-kun. Surely she wouldn't be sad if she disappeared. Would she be as sad if he just stopped playing with her? Domo-kun was clearly the offender in this situation, she shouldn't be mad at him.

"I love Domo-kun! I want to play with Domo-kun!" That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back as Sakura gave one more rough tug and they flew away from each other, Domo-kun's ear in Sakura's hand while Domo-kun's body was in Asuka. At the sight of her most favorite toy in two pieces, Asuka broke out in tears, wailing in anguish at her ruined toy. Sakura's eyes widened, not expecting her to cry over such a thing. Stupid Domo-kun, "Domo-kun… you… you ruined him! Now h-he's injured a-and can't play! I… I hate you Sakura-nii!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the girl in front of him, then turned to the ear that was clenched in his hand. In a rare fit of anger, Sakura threw the ear at his sister, making her cry even more. He began to stomp in the opposite direction when he was suddenly in front of a huge guy in a black track suit. He was extremely tall and strong looking from his imposing stature that towered over his. Abruptly, the man looked down at him with a sour look that turned a bit grimmer when he looked at him. Though his face was a bit scary, Sakura didn't feel afraid… there was just something in his eyes that made him flinch when they looked at him. Disapproval. For the first time in a while, Sakura almost felt childish for what he'd done to his sister though he had been sure it wasn't his fault just a second ago.

Instead of yelling at him like Sakura thought he would, he walked over to his crying sister and squatted to her level. The grim look that had adorned his face when he stared at him softened a little when met with his crying twin and he said, "Oi… look, if you want… I can fix your toy…" Asuka's crying immediately stopped and she looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes though she crushed Domo-kun tighter to her chest.

"R…Really?" She asked hesitantly and he nodded, taking out a small pink kit from his pocket that Sakura quickly realized was a sewing kit as he pulled a needle out and quickly threaded it—though he knew for a fact that that kind of thing was extremely difficult for those who didn't do it often. Taking the needle, he quickly went to work, stitching with a concentrated and almost… peaceful look. "W…Wow… you're working so fast!"

The stranger smirked lightly and looked at her with eyes that made the small girl blush. She thought… he looked a bit adorable. Like a doll or something. Though he barely said anything to her, she felt almost comforted by his presence… she wanted him to stay a bit longer when the warm tenor of his voice softly spoke to her, "What's your… favorite color?" his voice was hesitant when speaking with her as if not wanting to make her upset. A small blush adorned his face as he squirmed like Sakura-nii did whenever he did something nice for her in public, but he didn't look around like Sakura-nii does. He just stared at her and for some reason she felt like he was listening to everything she said, his attention solely on her.

"Um… purple," She said, having her own motives behind it but the small laugh that escaped the tall redhead was knowing at it made her blush in embarrassment. Could this man actually know why she chose purple even though her favorite color was red? She tried to discard the idea as she watched him continuously weaving. He finished half of the ear in no time at all and took out a strip of purple cloth and two buttons, his hands working diligently until a bow adorned Domo-kun's head. She realized what the purpose was when he snipped the thread with his surprisingly sharp teeth. There was no sign that there was any kind of rough treatment with Domo-kun with the bow in place. It looked like it was brand new and most of all… "It's… cute…"

"Tch, don't sound so surprised," the redhead said, pulling her to her feet and looking back at Sakura-nii, "So, where's your parent or…" he trailed off uncertainly though Asuka had no idea that there could really be other options for kid that came here. Of course their parents would bring them right? Kids' parents just don't let them wander alone, tou-chan said so. However, it was in that instant that she realized that that was exactly what they had done. She also realized that she had no idea where they were. Her clueless look made Sakura-nii and the stranger sigh nearly identical sighs that kind of amused her in such a situation.

"We… well, we came from back there so… we should go back to the playground so otou-san can find us. You know where it is right?" Sakura said in a bland and unworried tone that made the stranger look at him strangely before giving a huff and grabbing his and his sister's hands after putting the sewing kit away.

"I'll take you but you have to hold my hand. It'll definitely look suspicious if I'm just walking with two unattached kids. Ugh, and you're dirty too," the stranger wrinkled his nose slightly in a way that slightly pissed Sakura off as he looked away. He was used to adult praising the responsible way he handled things though why did this stranger act like he was the biggest brat there was even as he helped them back to the playground where otou-san would probably be worried sick after being gone for twenty minutes? He glanced at his sister who looked determinedly ahead of her and sighed quietly, knowing that this was no time to be griping about the stranger when his sister hated him. He felt the stranger's hand tighten slightly and felt the pain in his chest ease in a strange way. He frowned and looked up at the man who glanced around attentively. He was probably looking for his father.

Reaching the playground, he decided to sit on the bench they were at before. He waited there with them, leaning back in his seat. Sakura felt his stare on him and fixed him with his own patented 'don't bother me' stare. The larger redhead raised an eyebrow and leaned down, cupping his hand to hide his mouth and whispered to him, "You're worried about your sister aren't you." He stiffened, though not because of his closeness. He was being too familiar but it didn't disturb him much. The man didn't have a strange feeling to him and he instinctively didn't feel uncomfortable around him though he didn't know why. That was the stranger part of the entire thing. But how would this guy know he was thinking about his sister? He didn't even ask, he just said like he already knew.

"Che, what would you know? You don't know me," He blew him off, embarrassed that he was that obvious about it. Did that mean his embarrassing little sister knew too? Is that why she wouldn't look at him? He sadly stared at the small trail of ants that crawled on the ground and glanced over his shoulder to see the other male's face the same place it was before, "Quit staring at me, pervert." That seemed to get him as a tick mark formed on his forehead, a pissed look crossing his face that made Sakura feel a little better. It was amusing, making fun of this guy.

"I'm not a pervert, I just know that such an uncute kid like you would probably have too much pride to apologize for hurting your sister just because you were jealous of a stuffed rabbit," Sakura swiftly turned to stare harshly at him, deciding that he didn't like the man.

"Baka, who would be jealous over that thing?" he tried to defend himself. He wasn't jealous. What a stupid thing to feel over something that couldn't even breathe. He and Asuka were certainly closer than she and that bunny… crap that sounded a bit jealous… The stranger smirked in an irritating way and he turned forward, ignoring him.

"Hmph, so not cute. What I'm trying to say is, if you can't bring yourself to say it then do something in a gesture of apology. She definitely doesn't hate you, so you have—"

"Don't talk like you know everything. You don't know Asuka," he growled, tired of his assumptions and nosiness. How could he possibly know what she was thinking? He shouldn't be so arrogant, especially when it wasn't even his business to begin with.

The other sighed, "I know I don't know her. We're strangers. But, I did see how sad she looked before. It would be best to make up, siblings aren't supposed to fight for too long. A sister will always like her brother better than any toy," Sakura's small hands clenched and he was silent while he felt the larger man back away from him. Really… he was just lucky with all of those assumptions… that was the only reason Sakura felt a little better. There was no way he'd take his advice, absolutely not, "Hey what does your father look like kid?" He stared around until he saw a familiar sweater with raven hair fluttering about. His suspicions were confirmed when the figure called out his and his sister's names to which Asuka cried out with happiness, waving to catch his attention.

Just for a second as he looked up to the stranger's face, Sakura saw a saddened smile. It was strange and Sakura didn't think it suited him at all… but what did it have to do with him? He didn't like that guy anyway. The larger redhead let go and walked away as their father came toward them, going quickly though he hadn't done anything to be considered incriminating. It almost seemed like he was trying to escape though Asuka saw the other and a frown crossed her face. The frown that told Sakura that she was once again going to do something impulsive.

Haruka felt like a weight had lifted from his chest when he saw his children sitting on the bench that he'd been at originally, though they were dirty. But, the thing that caught Haruka's attention was the tall redheaded man that was sitting in between his children. On first instinct, he was extremely wary since he knew for a fact that he's never seen this man before yet he was in between his children. His suspicion turned accusing when he saw the man immediately get up after seeing him and walking away quickly like he was running away from them unlike most who would go to him first if anything to give the kids to him. Was he a pervert? How did he even find them in the first place? As he considered the suspicious man he considered running after him though it seemed his daughter already had that idea and rushed after the redheaded man. His eyes widened and he walked quicker to them, what was Asuka thinking? He thought she was clear on the don't talk to strangers rule! What would she even want from him?

"Ah! Sir! Wait!" She said, grabbing his hand to stop the stranger. Though her strength obviously wasn't enough to stop such a big guy, strangely he paused his escape and looked down at the raven girl whose hand could only grip three fingers of his. Asuka looked up at him and grinned victoriously like she'd won something and instead of releasing the man's fingers, she gripped them tighter. "What's your name? You have to tell me 'cause you know mine and you know Sakura-nii's," she said innocently, clutching her bunny to her chest as Haruka watched the man's shoulders sag a little as he turned to her with a small blush.

"Um… It's Matsuoka Rin," he said softly in a way that Haruka wouldn't expect from such a rough looking guy. His voice was almost soothing to hear even though he grumbled his name grumpily.

"Ah! I see. Thank you for fixing my bear Rin-Rin!" The stranger's—well Matsuoka-san he supposed—face turned bright red, entrancing the small girl below who he glared at in embarrassment.

"Y…You're welcome, but don't c-call me that…" he said, not able to get angry at the small female though his face was still burning, "If that's all… then bye Asuka. You too Sakura." Sakura stiffened, as if surprised that he too was called out. Haruka noticed he completely ignored his presence and even had the gall to not say goodbye to him. Haruka was strangely annoyed by this. Why say goodbye to the children before someone of your own age? The redhead started up a run, refusing to even acknowledge Haruka's presence which annoyed him even more. He admitted he was lucky for this guy to have found his children and brought them back safely but did he really have to be so rude?

Exhausted by the fiasco with his children, he walked with his children back to the house. They also seemed to be tired out by the excursion and immediately trotted back to their room while he went to start a bath. Long baths always felt refreshing and he could either space out the entire time or think of whatever he wanted because it was his bath and no one disturbed someone while they were bathing. Though he didn't really have time for such luxuries while he was working—with the off chance that the laptop might fall in the tub along with his precious files, he decided not to try such a risky thing.

Stripping his clothes off with practiced ease that came from his love of baths, he sank into the warm water mindlessly while his mind drifted back to the situation before. Truthfully it was quite surprising to see Asuka run after that man who she hadn't even known the name of. Out of both of the twins, Asuka was the most sociable but because of that she tended to lack trust in others and only trusted those that were closest to her. He supposed that getting to know that many people would expose many things that Asuka couldn't handle about them and that was her reasoning behind it. But the way she ran after that guy… he didn't see the slightest bit of wariness in her.

And moreover Sakura let her. That kid sometimes could be more protective of Asuka than he was—though he tended to not like it when it was pointed out. Sakura usually would never have let her get so close to some random guy but instead of stopping her, he watched as she caught him. It seems like Sakura's defenses were also down when dealing with this guy. Haruka sank further down into the water. What exactly happened while he was gone to make them like this towards him, in such a short period of time too…?

Sakura sat in the living room, colored pencils and paper in hand. He wasn't following what that nutcase said before. He was just a decent brother who couldn't stand to leave things unfinished. That's why he was currently working on a beautiful apology card for his sister… it wasn't just because that guy said it. He would've done it anyway. _Because you're too prideful right? _His voice rang in his head and he colored the designs a bit harshly while violently wiping away such thoughts. He was just some arrogant guy with a hero complex. He doesn't need to fix every problem that came his way… he hated that type of guy the most. After he busied himself with coloring, he finished with ease. The colors complemented each other and it wasn't too feminine but it had character… like Asuka.

Though when he heard small footsteps thudding ungracefully towards him, he stiffened and hid the card under the table. Turning slowly, he was met with Asuka who changed into her pajamas. She once again held that infuriating bunny and Sakura was about to turn right back around when she began to speak, "Um… onii-chan… I… sorry for what… I said earlier. I didn't mean it…" Sakura's eyes widened as that guys words replayed like a broken record in his mind, "I like Sakura-nii better than Domo-kun but… kaa-chan gave Domo-kun to me and I have to take good care of him. Or he'll be lonely… but I guess I ended up making you lonely too huh? That's why… that's why I had Rin-Rin sew purple fabric on Domo-kun. You say that they're for babies but it's a treasured gift so we should share it. Because purple means it's not all the way yours but it's not all the way mine either. So lets… play w-with Domo-kun together…" She said, her eyes getting watery at his blank expression.

Sakura remembered the day that he'd thrown the stuffed animal okaa-san gave to him away out of anger. Asuka hadn't spoken to him for the entire day and seemed to treasure Domo-kun even more after that incident… but now she was willing to share Domo-kun even after he ripped his ear off. She really was making an effort to forgive him. Sakura's eyes widened and he pulled out his own card from under the table and thrust it at her. She looked at it with surprised eyes and he looked away stubbornly, not wanting her to see how flustered he was. Though it couldn't be helped when Asuka flung herself on him and hugged him, laughing in his ear, "Onii-chan is funny. I love onii-chan the best!"

"Shut up. You're so embarrassing…" Sakura said as he hugged her back, feeling better that all was forgiven. He still wouldn't acknowledge the fact that the stranger's advice did anything though. He was still an arrogant idiot.

Haruka came downstairs to be greeted with the pleasant sight of Sakura and Asuka playing together with Domo-kun on the floor. That was surprising. Sakura never made a hidden thing—his disdain for Asuka's beloved bunny rabbit. But now he sat with a happy expression while he watched Asuka laugh beside him. And Asuka hated to let Sakura play with her favorite rabbit, afraid he would tear it but she freely let the other squeeze and toss him playfully. He really wondered what could've gotten into those two today.

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**Weeeellll? That was chapter 2! Rin-Rin appeared but he ran away from Haruka! But to make it up to you I made twin bundles of cutenesssss and fluuuufff!**

**To my reviewers: **

**Guest: Aha! Yeah about the names, I had absolutely no idea what to name the girl twin but Sakura is basically the non-cannon child of Rin and Haruka so he and his personality were kind of decided. **

**Maiden Warrior: Ah yes, as it turned out, number one was quite popular and after reading a manga I got great inspiration for this story. Ah but you don't need to be torn anymore! You have both Rin-Rin aaand cute twinsies! And this story is actually a bit deeper into actual love within the HaruRin pairing considering they have kids and all. I feel that you all will be quite emotional throughout! Lol and everyone was wondering what happened that made Haruka not come to work and I'm like... a vacation? Lmao, not too heavy bro. And also as a bit of future tellings, this story is faaaarrr more M-rated than the other. Like really it is eue**

**Natusmefruit: Ah yes as for Asuka I made her a bit more like Gou and Rin with her tomboyishness and impulsiveness but she still has surprisingly good judgment like Haruka. And Sakura, well I modeled him more after Haruka when he was little (you know how he was all tsun tsun around rin? Like that)**

**No0onat: Aww! Thank you! And your Rin-Rin has appeared! Though he hasn't swept Haruka away yet. ewe Yet!**

**Imadragon: Ah! YeahI I actually got really curious about what an otomen was, I looked it up and found the manga... I got hooked and finished it ene I'm in mourning. But it gave me a lot of great ideas! Although Rin-Rin will still be in character, just with these hobbies cause I don't want to make him overly sweet-just really moe moe! So thanks for the ideaaa! Ah yesh, daddy Haruka will always be cute! And so will Sakura-nii! Lol, Kou is actually a bit different in this story as you will be able to tell later and we've figured out why Haruka can't come into woooork! It wasn't too serious though XD**

**LindyLinn: Yeeeesh updates ahoy!**


	3. A look that changed my life

**Heyoooo! Man! It feels like forever since I've updated and I worked extra hard to make it so that I could update as soon as possible, with the best quality I could manage of couuurse! So enjoy chapter 3!**

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**Chapter 3: A look that changed my life**

_Blue eyes slowly opened to look at a dreamy sky above him, the clouds looking much fluffier than they usually do. To him the blue of the sky seemed extremely vivid, the white of the clouds in stark contrast and he could feel every soft gust of wind glide over his skin as if it weren't a familiar sensation. Taking his eyes off of this breathtaking sky, Haruka noticed he was in a meadow. The grass, like the sky, looked greener and each flower was strangely exotic—not one looking exactly like the other. It was soft, almost like a bed and he was pleased with the earthly smell of it. A tender look broke out in his eyes as he relaxed being in this foreign place. The meadow was open, spreading as far as he could see and suddenly he heard a laugh._

_It was unfamiliar, he was sure he hadn't heard it before. It was deep but melodic and soft, strangely making his heart rate pick up. It was a playful sound and Haruka didn't want this beautiful noise to stop. As his chest squeezed at the light sound, he looked around him in an attempt to find the source. It shouldn't have been hard, this was such an open field, he could see everything with perfect clarity. Yet the laughter continued as he whipped his head around to find where it was coming from. It was almost like whoever was laughing was well aware that he could see him but he couldn't be seen. It made Haruka a bit impatient._

_ "__You look pretty dumb right now, y'know…" A laughing voice said, the smooth flow of it making his heart throb strangely. Haruka briefly wondered if he was having some kind of cardiac malfunction but was more taken with the fact that said musical voice was making fun of him. The laughter increased and so did his irritation when he suddenly saw his hand had something red on it. He lifted it and saw that it had a red string attached to his ring finger which was thoroughly tied and even stranger had no trace of the ring he usually wore on it. Following the red string, he saw that it led to something and suddenly when he turned his head once more, he saw the back of a man who wore a white, long-sleeved shirt that seemed a bit too big for him and a pair of regular skinny jeans. His figure, though tall and muscled, seemed almost delicate from where the collar of his shirt drooped down his shoulder uncaringly. Though what caught his attention the most was the extremely bright red hair which the wind played in, blowing it this way and that. Though it was only his back, Haruka was sure he knew who that beautiful voice belonged to, "Oh so you found me?"_

_Haruka walked slowly towards this person, his heart thudding in his chest while he reached out for the other. He wanted to see his face… his eyes… he felt strangely attached to his person. He sounded like he would be smiling if he turned to him. His arms twitched and he felt like holding the other, who radiated this strange air about him that he just felt utterly attracted to. He couldn't take his eyes away. He followed the string that led to the redhead and when he was behind him he said softly, "Y…Yeah… I found you…"_

_ "__I see, that's good. I've been waiting for you. Every time I wanted to meet you we just kept missing. I'm glad I could finally hear you talking to me," he watched, entranced as if in slow motion while his slender hand brushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear and revealed that the string indeed led to the other's ring finger. The man turned slowly and his eyes widened as a blinding light emitted in front of them, shielding the other's face as he revealed himself… everything but a pair of enchanting red eyes… "I love you… Haruka…"_

Haruka launched upright from his bed, breathing a bit heavily though… not from fear. His body tensed in a strange way, like he was anticipating something. His dream was strange that day, he didn't have a habit of dreaming of such things, only dreaming of swimming or his kids, or sometimes even work. He never remembered much from any of them either and he couldn't recall most of what he'd just dreamt then. He only remembered bits and pieces of it… what could've possibly made his heart race like that?

Looking over at his clock, he observed it was a Saturday and he once again had nothing to do until around eleven o' clock when his kids woke up. So he just resigned himself to staying awake since it was already nine. He'd just take a long bath like he usually did nowadays. He had nothing much to do in the present time actually. He had been condemned to stay away from working for the next month, his children were usually well-behaved, his wife actually worked most of the time, and he'd cleaned the house three times over since this hellish month started. He applied to go to the nearest sports club's swimming pool yesterday but because it was Saturday he couldn't go. How irritating.

Leaving his bed, he flipped the covers back onto the bed so his wife didn't get cold. Suddenly as her hair peeked out from the covers, those red strands gave him a flash into his previous dream where he recalled seeing such vibrant hair… but wasn't it a bit brighter? Hm… it was probably just the lighting they were in at the moment that made her hair seem a bit duller than that in his dream. So today he dreamed of his wife? That hadn't happened in a long time… Shaking off such lingering thoughts, he walked into the bathroom and started filling the bath with the warm water he preferred when soaking—though if he had the choice, he'd probably like the coolness of the swimming pool better.

He stripped and sank into the water, blowing out bubbles while he looked out his window that was in front of him at the sky… the sky… seemed a bit duller as well… What was he saying? It looked the same as usual to him but, he felt as if he'd seen a sky so much bluer than what he was looking at and couldn't help but compare. Not wanting to look anymore, he sank into the water and looked up at his ceiling, the silence echoing in his ear… had he really dreamed of Kou? Kou… the bright eyes seemed to be similar as well… but weren't the ones in his dream a bit… sharper? They were fuzzy when he thought of them so he could be wrong. What other redheads did he even know? None had hair that was that shade of red nor those fuzzy eyes that he couldn't stop imagining…

Hours passed without him knowing while he struggled internally about this dream, soaking until his body had his fill and he had settled on deciding that he had dreamt about Kou as there was no other possible redhead that he's seen before. He lifted himself out of the tub, toweling himself off while he met Kou at the door. She was wearing my pajama top as a night gown and her hair was ruffled from the previous sleep she'd gotten and when her eyes met his, as if not expecting to run into him. But her surprise was easily fixed with a loving smile directed at him and a hug around his naked waist, "You look sexy today." She purred the words while looking up at him from his chest. He didn't respond, patting her head instead. He never knew what to say when she said stuff like that.

Was he supposed to say it back? Was he supposed to touch her? She was his wife and he did have sex with her on a regular basis but… when he looked at her she just didn't scream sexy to him. Or maybe he was getting the meaning of sexy wrong? Kou had gotten him erect on many occasions and no one except for her had been able to—another reason he saw her fit to marry. He could work himself off but he'd yet to meet anyone that could make him feel desire except for her. Perhaps that was what sexy was… he was thinking far too much into this. Instead he just said, "Morning, Kou."

Leaving her in the bathroom doorway, he padded to his room and changed his clothes as he heard the scheduled noises of children rousing not too far away. Meeting the kids in their room, he was amused to find that Sakura and Asuka had been yet again sleeping in the same bed. They looked adorable as they sleepily rose, holing Domo-kun. Though something was rather strange about Domo-kun, he noticed. He wasn't torn or anything but… ah! It was that well-crafted, purple bow that was wrapped around an ear of the stuffed bunny. When had that gotten there? He walked forward and gently shook them both.

"Sakura, Asuka… wake up. Since today is Saturday we have a lot of time to play… if you get up that is…" The twins simultaneously woke at the offer to play with their beloved father. Yawning, Asuka was the first to get out of bed, dragging Domo-kun with her to the bathroom to get ready. He also thought that Asuka seemed even more attached to Domo-kun lately. She never let him go unless she had to bathe and even then kept him close. It was like she was treasuring it even more than she already had before. Sakura too treasured Domo-kun by often setting him in chairs or on a table when they ate and he just as often held it in his arms. Many mysteries had occurred ever since the incident in the park.

At the dining room table where they all ate their mackerel and toast, Haruka decided to ask about Domo-kun, "Sakura, Asuka, you guys carry Domo-kun around a lot more don't you?" He pointed out and Asuka merely smiled that told him they knew something he didn't. Sakura didn't say anything at all, preferring to turn away with a stoic look that showed clear embarrassment to an observant Haruka. Asuka giggled at her brother's natural response and decided to keep quiet about it so he could save face, "Okay… then where did the bow come from?"

When Asuka heard that, her eyes widened with excitement as she remembered the kind and gentle man that sewed her bunny for her. Although it happened a week or so ago, she remembered every detail perfectly. The gentleness in his voice that made her tears stop, how cute he looked while he was sewing, how her brother actually kind of liked him though was probably in firm denial of it at the moment. She thought he gave off a nice aura that she'd felt before… it was warm and comforting like Tou-chan but… different in some way. So with these thoughts, she proudly declared, "Rin-Rin sewed it up for me!" Haruka raised an eyebrow, flashing back to the stranger who had ran away from him in the park.

"Eh? Him?" He asked quietly to himself in wonder. He wouldn't have thought that guy would be able to do such a good job in such a short time. He had been tall and awkward-looking with his long limbs that fled from him, he didn't look capable of doing something so feminine. Haruka thought that the man had been jogging from the sweats he had on… a flash of the red hair of his dream entered his mind and his eye twitched while he vehemently shook his head in refusal of the thought that just went through his head. How disgusting. How could he have dreamt about that guy when he only just met him? He had to be stressed to end up thinking that his dreams incorporated some guy named "Rin-Rin" in them! It was his wife, no doubt about it.

He heard the light click-clack of heels trail down the steps, already knowing who it was even before the third click hit the tiled staircase. The noise grew louder as his wife grew closer to him and before he knew it, he felt her lean up and kiss his cheek. She then kneeled and kissed her two children goodbye before turning and announcing she was leaving for work. The last thing she said before she left was, "I love you, Ha-ru!" Somehow, he thought the silhouette she had when she walked away… it was off somehow. It lacked what he'd felt before and the most disturbing thing he realized as she walked out the door was… she never called him Haruka…

"I'm really stressing out aren't I? I should probably do something before I drive myself up the wall," he mumbled, passing out dishes of fish to his children and making a point to not think at all about what he'd dreamt.

…

Kou arrived at her work, bouncing with energy. Things had been going well for her in the recent days. She and Mikoshiba had a date tonight, her boss had been quite impressed with the way she'd bagged two extremely profitable clients, her children were happy as was her husband and things were just as her life should be. She felt like she was in a dream, could things really be going so well for her for so long? She felt as if she was becoming spoiled. Giggling behind her hand, she reflected on why she'd been called into the office today. Her boss had said she had something incredibly important to discuss with her at this point and she had the feeling it had to do with the promotion she'd been working towards. She was quite enthusiastic about being trusted with more clients that are high end and of course pay well.

She was also firmly convinced at this point that the decision to have two men in her love life was the best she'd ever made. Mikoshiba was fully aware of her duties as a wife and mother and gave her leeway to always go home at night. He was always so gentle with her and treated her like a princess which she's always wanted. But on the other end of the spectrum, she had Haru who was her first love. He was a brilliant father, loved her and his children, never pried into what she did like Mikoshiba did and wordlessly accepted her in whatever she wanted to do. He always gave into her; that must mean he really liked her right? He worked so hard for her to have a nice house and provide for her even though he was a bit distant. With those two opposites together, she had the perfect man! This situation was ideal for her.

Mikoshiba was so excited when he invited her out, his smile was nearly blinding along with that bright hair of his. Kou found herself instinctively nodding her head and telling her husband that yet again she'd be late. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly Mikoshiba had planned for her with how excited he was and thinking about it only made Kou giddy for the next time she would meet her lover. She entered the office of her boss who sat in her chair, her eyes busily scanning her files and tucking things neatly away without much of a thought. When she saw Kou, her eyes immediately lit up at the sight of her valued employee and she waved her in.

"So, Nanase-san, how have you been? Are your kids doing okay?" Kou smiled at this considerateness that her boss always showed to her employees. The ways she always asked about them first and how they were doing with that kind smile that actually made you feel like she really gave a damn was always the best to see. She couldn't help grinning along with her as the anticipation for what this little meeting would be about grew. As her boss gestured for her to sit, Kou had no objections and sat in the comfy chair across from her boss.

"Ah, they've been adorable little angels as always. And you? How have you been doing lately?" Kou asked, looking at her with interest as her boss modestly blushed—happy about her recent engagement that she'd gotten. She gushed about his looks and kindness, saying she truly felt like she'd found her soul mate. Kou was quite happy for her, though she'd found her soul mate in two other guys. "So this meeting is about…" She trailed off, leaning forward with curiosity. Her boss blushed, as she'd been caught up in her personal life, and turned to her with a slightly solemn expression. Kou didn't know whether the small challenging smirk on her face would be frightening or nice to see depending on the task the other had in mind.

"Nanase-san, you remember the Christmas party we threw last year right?" She asked, cocking her head with an intent look that decidedly frightened her.

"A..Ah… yes. It was splendid. The senpais threw is at a ball didn't they?" Her boss nodded, the perfect brunette waves caressing her back on bobbing while her clever, blue eyes stared through her. Kou had gathered that a party was probably going to be involved in this. Probably a party to merge more clients into their company, but that was alright. Kou was more than happy to help organize a party, she was great at that type of thing. Never has someone told her that her parties were not satisfying.

"Yes, yes. But… I was thinking of doing something a bit different this time around. Tonight there will be a meeting of many important clients who are expecting to be wined and dined as a celebration for our thirtieth year of being an official company. I know I'm asking a lot, but I've already given you the necessary paperwork beforehand to organize such an event and I've imported the money into your bank account, now what I want you to do is create a party worth mentioning for our company by tonight. If all goes well… then I'll give you that promotion that you've been eyeing," Kou's eyes widened and simultaneously, she paled and looked down at the desk. So this was why she was called the challenging boss. Kou hadn't believed it with what she'd experienced but it had been rumored that one of the reasons her employees were so efficient was because she was an expert at throwing challenging milestones in exchange for a reward as if to "test" her employees. Those who pass move up in the food chain but those who fail are patronized like a child and have less responsibility and less money.

Some thought such a system was unfair though her business had been running incredibly smoothly because of this and she was always prepared with a plan B in case her employees failed her. Though she knew for sure that she did not want to fail this woman, who placed such an important event in her lap. And her promotion was at stake too… Kou found herself nodding much to her boss's delight.

"Ah! Then you'll do it? Great! The party begins at nine! Please be sure to have everything ready then!" She said and excused her from her desk, going back to doing her paperwork which Kou suspected might've been a replacement party for if she failed. Nodding, Kou immediately left and rushed from the building, frantically creating a list of things that she would need to get for such an event. She wanted to make the party spectacular and thought of a proper theme to do so. Since they wanted to be wined and dined, a classy party with champagne and formal wear seemed nice enough, and their very big house would be the most convenient place to hold such a thing.

She drove home with determined red eyes which you could almost see the word 'goal' written in the irises as she dialed a familiar number on her cell phone. In an instant, Mikoshiba's chipper voice chimed in on the other side and she could almost imagine puppy ears atop the bright reddish orange hair. Kou smiled softly as he hear Mikoshiba ask, "Hey! Gou-san, what's up?"

"Ah, Mikoshiba... can we reschedule that date for maybe another time?" she almost winced as she could practically see the ears on his head sag in disappointment, though Mikoshiba chuckled to cover it up. She knew that he would never dream of making her feel guilty about what she felt she had to do but she still felt the need to explain herself regardless, "A-Ah… um… it's not about m-my husband or anything… I got suddenly offered a promotion if I threw a grand party at my house for my company. I really was looking forward to coming out with you but…"

"Ah! No, Gou-san, it's alright… um… it's something that can't be helped no matter what right? So it's fine. I'm just… I'm actually just happy you called, Gou-san," Kou's face turned red and she sighed softly. This guy really could be embarrassing if he wanted to be. Kou shook such distracting thoughts from her busy mind, not having the time to dwell upon them, "Could I be of any assistance to you?"

"Um… well you could help me… with some things. Should I pick you up? And don't call me Gou! It's Kou!" She asked a bit shyly though it turned to her usual agression while she pulled into her house. She would certainly be asking her husband—who loved to work—to help her out. He was one of the most successful people she knew. What better person to ask to go shopping for her for party favors. He's probably thrown a million of these parties. For Mikoshiba, she would probably need to go with him so he didn't pick anything too ostentatious. She and Mikoshiba agreed on the place and time they would meet up and she quickly went into her house, calling out for her husband in a hurried tone. She was pretty rushed she supposed, she only had twelve hours to get this party up and running.

When Kou came back, Haruka felt honestly confused. Kou usually was never back before midnight from her late night adventures yet here she was very early in coming back. She was so early that the kids were even awake when she came back—though she'd only left about half an hour earlier. He wondered what could've happened to make his busy body wife come home so early and with a look of intense determination in her eyes. He should've probably felt more wary than curious at this development. Though he stayed stationary with the children sitting promptly in his lap. The twins were also surprised with the new development of their mother home so early and eagerly turned toward her. "Kou? What are you doin—" he started but was quickly interrupted when Kou sat on the couch with him and the twins, her eyes turning pleading.

"Haru… I need to ask a favor of you," She said seriously and he didn't respond, staying silent for the moment while she gathered her words together, "There was this thing at work… and… my boss wants me to throw the celebration for the company's thirtieth year of being established—I could actually gain a promotion for this. However, the thing is… I absolutely must throw the party here. This house is big enough to host all the guests who have already been called without seeming too roomy. It's more intimate and the setting is just right. You don't have to pay for anything yourself, all the money we need has been transferred into my bank account by my boss and she expects a really classy party and—"

"So in short, you want me to go shopping for the ingredients to your perfect party?" Haruka cut her off, annoyed at such long-windedness. Kou quieted but nodded hesitantly. Haruka thought for a moment about it. Since it was Saturday all the stores would be open for them to shop at, he had been around to some parties and had picked some things up—and if things went wrong, he could always call Makoto. Besides, he and the twins were bored of staying inside and he was going to suggest going out anyway… perhaps having a task that they could work on would be a good thing. He nodded and got up with the twins, ignoring Kou's squeals of happiness, to go put some actual clothes on.

"You're my hero, Haru!" Kou cheered and he rolled his eyes at her antics, dressing casually once more in jeans and a sweater along with the twins who matched with their complementary pink and blue sweaters. They excitedly got ready to go and he thought he might call up those caterers he always had on hand for occasions like this. Haruka quickly drove to the furniture store as he was later texted that there would be about one hundred people in his house on this occasion. He thought that he most definitely needed more silverware, more plates, more everything. So he and the twins pulled into the lot and quickly went into the store. While he picked out the simple but elegant china, he let the twins choose which he should pick. Though they sometimes verged on arguing because of their differences in opinion. Asuka like brighter things that were more colorful or exiting while Sakura preferred things that were simpler yet eye-catching—typical of his son who said he wanted to be an artist to have such a worldly view of it. He conceded with both of them on separate things like china and silverware, finding that they tended to complement each other much like the twins did. They soon set up a nice dinner setup and he was beginning to wonder about decorations.

He and the twins brought out their goods and Haruka found himself thanking the higher powers for the fact that he didn't have to pay for all of these things that would probably only be used once since it wasn't in his nature to have such dinner parties. Their living room was large enough to sustain a hundred or so people if they paired them up with tables. While he thought of troublesome ways to please their impending guests, he hadn't noticed that something else had caught his children's gaze already. Though this didn't mean that he didn't notice them run off in a random direction without him.

With a slightly furrowed brow, Haruka quickly ran after Asuka and Sakura, wondering what could've possibly made them just run away from him like that… well that is until he saw a familiar dash of red hair on a bench nearby...

* * *

Kou sighed with exhaustion as she sat on a nearby bench. A light sheen of sweat glossed her forehead and she closed her eyes. Getting a part ready was much more complicated than she thought. She was in charge of bringing in the actual food and getting entertainment because to think about just being by herself entertaining all of those celebrities made her get the jitters. She really didn't know what she would do about the hundreds of dishes and silverware after all was said and done with the party—it just didn't feel right to throw away all of that money. Moreover, though their house was big, how were they going to fit everyone in there "comfortably"? Everyone needed to be able to breathe and eat comfortably or else the party will be a waste. It was too chilled at night to even consider going outside too… did she bite off more than she could chew? This was more complicated than she thought…

Suddenly a pair of warm lips landed on hers and a strand of her bright hair was moved from off of her sticky forehead. She looked up at the kind eyes that stared down at her worriedly and nearly laughed as she could now physically see the other's puppy eyes staring down at her. The bright red hair atop this man's head stuck out all over the place as usual while being a bit more unruly than usual due to the running around that they had been doing. Ah yes, it was Mikoshiba kissing her and petting her. Making her blush… she swatted the other's hand away with an irate look upon her face, "Mikoshiba, didn't I tell you that this was business? If you're going to be like this then I have to reconsider bringing you along next time."

Mikoshiba's eyes comically widened and turned panicked as he quickly moved away from the woman who did not like PDA, "A-Ah… s-s-sorry Gou-san! I just couldn't help it… you looked so cute and defenseless there, really…" He said, his voice getting softer as he spoke. Kou couldn't help the blush that spread on her pale cheeks before she snapped,

"Quit it with the Gou! I'm Kou!" Mikoshiba flinched at her wrath and she sighed, looking down at the floor with stressed eyes, "S…Sorry, Mikoshiba. I just… this is really harder than I thought…" She said with a said look. She really wondered if she could pull a feat like this off… She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped a bit at its gentleness. But, Mikoshiba was always gentle with her so it didn't make sense to be surprised now… Looking over to him, her eyes widened marginally when she saw his face. It was uncharacteristically serious as he stared at her like he could see right through her. See her worries, her happiness, her fears… it was quite frightening to be under a gaze so powerful. He had the look as if he wanted to say something—he'd actually had this look for quite a while but Kou couldn't stand the sight of it. She didn't want to see it. She knew that with that face, as soon as he said something… that something would change all that she was now. It would change her life and she knew that but she didn't want her life to change.

Things were so comfortable as they were now with both loving men, her job and children… she didn't want to give any of it up because she honestly didn't think that she could choose between them. So when Mikoshiba looked at her like that, challenging her way of life… she immediately came on the defensive and moved away, shifting physically away from Mikoshiba, "I'm sorry about using your name… Kou… but I think that Kou's real name is way better and cuter than any other name. I just can't stop saying it, but since you dislike it so much I'll make more of an effort… just don't…" _Run away_. That's what he wanted to say but for once, Mikoshiba seemed to sense that this wasn't the time or place for such an intimate conversation and backed down from what he was going to say. Instead he picked up the cell phone that they'd been using to make calls and said, "I'll call one of my contacts, I know a lot of compact musicians that play for the fashion shows… don't worry. I'll make sure that you are successful. Because I like when you're grinning at me and showing off better." Kou blushed and looked away as she felt her heart throb dangerously with him. Shit... she really wouldn't be able to choose between her husband and this man… they were both equally dangerous for her heart.

* * *

Sakura was happy that he and his sister got to go with their father to shop for the party. Of course his and Asuka's ideas clashed but he was glad that they were able to come to some form of agreement and equally decided to do something. It wasn't something that they were able to do often. However, now that they were outside, Sakura felt almost… wistful… like he was missing something that he needed for this to be complete. But he quickly shook his head dismissing the thought when he started to imagine the redheaded woman that lived with them to be with them. No, he, Asuka, and otou-san were just fine by themselves. They didn't need her… and she was never around anyway.

To be truthful, when Sakura saw that the redheaded woman that was his okaa-san came home early, he felt his heart leap in his chest. She ran over to them and sat with them but by the way she sat, he instinctively became suspicious. Her eyes had been too bright, too ambitious for it to be just for them. And she yet again inconvenienced them by making them go help her with some dumb party that she had to host at her house. Could it even be called her house anymore? It was just a place that she came in to sleep at and bathe, other than that she was never here. He didn't understand how his otou-san could be so calm about it all the time. Every day, she always came up with a new excuse to leave them and he was sick of it! He hardly even knew the woman enough to miss her but it was what he didn't know that he missed the most. Constantly feeling that something was missing… but he was perfectly happy how things were now. He wouldn't let anyone or anything come in between him and this happiness that was their little family.

It was just him, Asuka and otou-san… it has always just been them… it'll always… "Eh?" He asked himself as he clutched his box of silverware while looking over to his right. It seemed that a glimpse… of red had caught his eye. On the bench… it couldn't be… Before he knew it, his legs moved on their own, carrying him to the tall, lean figure that laid on the uncomfortable-looking wooden bench. Asuka followed him, eagerly running once she recognized exactly who it was that in front of them. Though Sakura had no way of knowing whether or not it was that meddling man, he felt like he couldn't ignore the possibility that it might be him. And the closer he got, the easier it was to tell that it was indeed him. Sakura could feel it. That mysterious feeling that he'd been thinking about ever since he'd met this man.

"Oi! Matsuoka-san!" he called out as Asuka simultaneously cried out the dumb nickname that she'd given him. The redhead jerked as he was called out, in a deeper sleep than Sakura had imagined as he sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Peering down at the smaller redhead, Sakura spotted a small, sleepy flush on his face and felt a strange comfortableness at the way he blearily blinked his eyes at him. It irritated him. This feeling. He refused to say anything more to the man with a hero complex. Instead he let Asuka do all the talking as she hopped onto the older man's lap and gave him a hug around the neck, surprising him.

"O…Oi! Don't tell me you two are lost again!" He said in a crabby voice, though he let the small girl settle on his lap and glared at her smiling face before sighing in something akin to defeat, "Well… at least you aren't crying…" he mumbled and ruffled her hair before looking around and spotting his otou-san behind him, who admittedly looked worried about Asuka being on the lap of a stranger. Sakura would be worried too but, he couldn't bring himself to rip Asuka away when she looked so happy to see her "Rin-Rin".

Though the stranger grew quite tense when Haruka appeared and looked almost as if he intended to bolt right then and there. But, because of the child on his lap he looked almost trapped until he settled at uncomfortably staring at the boxes in the other's hands. Haruka raised an eyebrow at the scene of his daughter bear-hugging some stranger that was previously sleeping on a bench. Sitting beside him, he saw the man grow tenser and he reached over and grabbed his daughter, instead sitting her on his lap, "So we meet again huh?"

The redhead said nothing though he nodded in a strange way, since before he was talking so freely to the children. Haruka wondered what it was about him that made the man so uncomfortable but decided to think nothing of it as he'd gotten this reaction many times before and Makoto had told him not to take it too personally. He could only wonder why all those women would freeze up at the sight of him though. Haruka thought he'd ask another question that he was quite curious about, wondering if he might answer this question, "Why are you out here on a bench? It a bit cold out here you know…"

The stranger blushed a bit and looked away from him, glaring at the rocks on the ground as if they were oh so interesting, "I… this is where… I normally am…" he said stiffly and Haruka raised an eyebrow in question, hoping that that wasn't all the man was going to give him. After all he did look quite suspicious just sitting there at a time as late as this. The man huffed in frustration and fisted his hands as if answering would take an extreme amount of effort, "Um… well… I don't have… anywhere else to go." He growled lowly and Haruka raised both eyebrows lightly in surprise. He didn't have anywhere else to go? That meant he was homeless… well he didn't dress in the best clothes or look too fancy but he would've never guessed.

"You don't have any—" he was about to ask about the nonexistent necessities that the man seemed to be lacking but before he could do that, he was interrupted by the redhead. Well, he probably didn't want some random guy prying into his life anyway and thinking about it, it was quite out of character for Haruka to even ask about something like that but Haruka was feeling admittedly a bit suspicious of the man that Asuka constantly was calling out to. He had found his children twice now…

"Wha…What's in those bags?" The redhead asked, cutting off any and all questions about his being homeless completely off, "And those boxes are pretty big… what are you carrying?" He asked, desperation for getting the topic off of him turning into curiosity for what was actually in the box. He looked at all of them, his eyes getting more and more quizzical. Haruka just stared down at the box before checking his watch and seeing that he needed to actually get a move on based on how much time he actually had left to set the other things up.

"It's just some stuff for a dinner party that I have to plan for my wife. It's actually pretty important so I've got to go back now. I've dawdled a bit too much for my liking," He said smoothly, but saw interest spark in the tall redhead's eyes. He didn't quite understand why the other would become lively over that but didn't have time to think about it right then. He had to get back and choose the h'orderves that they were to eat at the party. Gathering Sakura and Asuka, who had been leaning on the stranger's arm while they were talking, he got ready to leave when suddenly, he felt a hand on his wrist.

His eyes widened and he looked down, as if unsure that such a gentle touch came from who was behind him. The hand was slender and soft and somehow… Haruka couldn't help but be reminded of the dream he'd had… He turned and looked at the hand that clutched at his wrist. It was the wrist where he had his wedding band on… somehow Haruka began to erase the ring and replace it with something red. It tied to his finger and trailed long past his imagined sight. A red string? He looked up at the stranger's face whose eyes stared at him, glittering lightly the longer he looked. Those sharp eyes… that vibrant hair… it was identical to the one in his dream!

But then that meant… he dreamt of this guy… this guy? Not his wife. Not the redhead that made complete and total sense but this one who was homeless, found children on the street and who he didn't know except for this brief period. He's never really even properly had a discussion with him… yet he dreamt of him? Haruka blinked a slow blink and stared at the other who looked so lively in front of him. It must've been some kind of twisted nightmare then. That was all he could call dreaming about this guy. It just wasn't right.

Oblivious to his realization that just came, the redhead trudged on in his impulsive behavior and stared at him powerfully in his eyes. A gaze that enchanted him so that he could not possibly look away… "I… I want to help too. Let me help you," huh? Help him? With the party? Just what was this stranger thinking?

* * *

**Okay! So what did ya think? Was it good? Bad? What can I improve on and what did ya like?**

**Oh! And to my reviewers:**

**Natsumefruit: Yesh, yesh, tsun tsun Sakura is a great creation! You think he'll have a mommy complex lmao. But true we did see how child Haru worked out... ah, Rin-Rin is just too cute. It's dangerous!**

**Imadragon: Lol wow, I totally looked that up on google translate and was like... well dang. That really is a bit of a give away... ah yeah, I can totally imagine that too! Rin being all I'm not fucking cute! But then blushing happily while making dinner and having the men around him go "I want him as my wife..." He and Haru don't seem to be going too badly though so it's alright! Still, there is a mystery behind his reactions C; And tooottally, Asuka has such a strange Onii-chan TTUTT but she loves him anyway even though he's complex! A mix of Rin and Haru has to be the most complex thing I've ever seen.**

**No0onat: Ah you're totally right about that! That chapter was cute! But we're beginning to get into the story now so don't you wooorry! Rin-Rin will pop up more and more as time goes on! It's boring writing without him TTUTT**

**LindyLinn: You're so right! He's a cutie piiieee! Ah and as for Gou and Rin... :) no comments eue**

**Maiden Warrior: RinRin is adorbs! I'm glad you looked up What an otomen is cause I have plans for RinRin! He'll be absolutely adorable and the twins are modeled to be like Rin and Haru when they were kids soooo I hope they are kawaii! You'll have to wait for more info about Gou and Rin though eue! And B-chaaan! Why ravish A-chaaaan! We're having yaoi feels! *Blush* but thanks for the luck!**

**Guest: Well he was pretty suspicious in the first place about some random guy holding his kids. Soooo... he's just being daddy bear Haru! Seeee you! **

** : Yeees! you're right! Waahhhh! Seme!Haru Uke!Rin so cute! Eh? You read the other story too? eue Yep! I like the idea of Otomen!Rin and I thought this story would make Makoto more in character with his friendship always looking out for Haru and such. He'll be popping up more often for Haru though I too see Haru as a seme and Makoto as a friend. **


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